Vanilla Twilight
by Esther Cain014
Summary: Song fic based off Owl City's "Vanilla Twilight": Kaname has been alone for five years now with no comfort from his Zero. The anniversary is at hand and Kaname is feeling as lonely as ever. ONE SHOT


YAY! This idea has been festering in my brain for months! Too long to have something rattling around in your brain, I'll tell you! Okay, so I have a crap load of homework left to do before the night is over so I shall just be quiet and let you read XD

**_Disclaimer: I sadly, do not own Vampire Knight, or the wonderful song "Vanilla Twilight" by Owl City. It's not imperative that you listen to the song to understand the fic, but since it was the inspiration, I would suggest you at least listen :)_**

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><p>Kaname sat in his room, lying on his bed and staring at the intricate ceiling about him, thinking about nothing in particular. His days had become slow and dreary lately for nothing had really caught his interest in years.<p>

As a pureblood, he had no real responsibilities except to occasionally check up on his sister who had conveniently taken 'command' of the vampire society after the unfortunate end of the vampire council. Kaname had to smile. Of course everyone knew he had taken a _major_ role in disposing of the corrupt and rather ineffectual group of vampires but after everything, and that was no exaggeration, became better nobody dared even mention Kaname's name in the same breath as the council.

He would have jumped at the chance to either visit or at least call his Yuuki except she had absolutely no time during this month because of the annual meeting between her and her many advisors and noble attendees to discuss the current issues and how to solve them. At first, he would attend as well in order to help the young pureblood princess along, but soon enough he felt confident that she could handle it herself; and she did, wonderfully in fact.

But Kaname was stuck. He could have left the mansion at any point in time, but he saw no reason to. The only person who had made his life brighter wasn't there.

Uncertain as to what he could do to entertain himself, Kaname got up from his bed and paced around his room, like he had done so many times before. Sighing, knowing that there was nothing there for him to do that wouldn't remind him of his other half, the pureblood went downstairs, passing doors upon doors of empty rooms, the kitchen where his cook was preparing his meal, and the study where his housekeeper was dusting the unused desk and book-filled cabinets.

They sensed him pass but per their masters' request, both women kept about their tasks, taking only a second to bow respectfully and murmuring a quiet "Good evening, Kaname-sama." He nodded to each in turn smiling as he usually would, trying to keep his boredom and loneliness from broadcasting to the two vampires. From the way his employees' body reacted, Kaname knew his smile hadn't worked in the way he had wanted, but he paid them no mind, keeping his body moving until he was at his front door.

Kaname paused there, not wanted to open the door just yet. He had been holed up in his room for two days now not eating a thing, and though he hadn't slept for two days, Kaname was completely alert. It was ingrained in his very being by now, this day and what had happened five years ago precisely.

Stepping out into the cool night air, Kaname inhaled and looked around. He hadn't realized how 'late' it actually was, the sun wasn't up yet and wouldn't be for another five hours but his senses told him that midnight had come and gone and it was officially 'tomorrow.'

"Well that would explain my reluctance to leave the house." He whispered to himself.

Braving his fears, Kaname left the threshold and continued down the familiar route passed the elaborate gardening and decorations that were arranged perfectly according to his father's standards. Not that they were bad, but the younger pureblood wasn't one for extravagances. Not anymore.

Surrounding his mansion was a deep and thick forest that made it difficult for even a pureblood to navigate unless he was familiar with the territory. Difficult, but not impossible. Especially not for Kaname.

About ten minutes away, the forest cleared away into a beautiful meadow, not unlike something one would find in a romance book. But that had been one of the qualities that had drawn both of them to the clearing. The cliché' of it all had driven both him and his other half down to the ground, rolling with laughter.

The whole meadow was strewn with blooming flowers and the first appearances of the early "early birds" were evident. The grass had yet to turn brown, and was in the stage of a deep, luscious green color from a rainy spring and humid summer. Situated a couple yards from the edge of the surrounding forest was a small cabin with two stories, and windows revealing all the luxuries of his mansion on both floors, with a wrap-around porch leading to the door. Near the edge of the clearing was a deep pond that was surprisingly clean when they had found it and was even more so now due to the constant attention it received from his staff. He had ordered them specifically to maintain the beauty of this meadow despite his beloveds nagging about overworking his employees.

Kaname smirked at the memory. That had been earlier in their relationship when neither knew quite how much could take and when they would snap. Of course, Kaname had tried his best to avoid any major conflict with his love due to the animosity that would spring if he were to push too far.

The pureblood inhaled the calm air, just like the first night they had found this place and it was doing nothing but arousing locked happy memories of times together with his beloved.

_"Hey Kaname, don't you think it's about time for you to get out of the sun?"_

_He laughed letting his happiness bleed through to his love, "Of course it is dearest. But what fun would it be if I had to watch you swim all the way from the bedroom window?"_

_"Um, I guess it wouldn't be as much for you, but I wouldn't have to stay up late tonight rubbing burn ointment on your body."_

_Kaname's eyes lit up._

_"And what pray tell is so bad about rubbing anything all over my body?"_

_Even Kaname's pureblood vampire reflexes couldn't keep him from being pulled into the pond that his love was currently swimming in. He struggled for only a second under the surface of the water, unsure as to what had just transpired. His eyes opened reluctantly and he looked up to see his beautiful lover giggling above the water's surface._

_His mind clicked, and Kaname's head broke the surface, shaking it like a dog, splashing his lover's dry face and lackluster-ly drying his own hair._

_Brown eyes met bright violet eyes and the pair broke out laughing. It wasn't often that Kaname and Zero got together like this anymore, and no matter what happened, Kaname was determined to thoroughly enjoy it._

_He splashed the laughing hunter, who in turn dunked him under again. Kaname grabbed the boy's legs and pulled him down to join him._

_He smiled warmly at the shell-shocked look on Zero's face and pushed himself above again. Before he took a breath, he was pulled under once more. He blinked and there he was. Zero's eyes were bright as he tenderly held Kaname's face._

_The pureblood couldn't quite tell what his silver haired boy was thinking, but he could guess, and it was more than welcome to occur soon or later. Though preferable the former._

_He pushed the both of them up for the last time and immediately after he heard the gasp come from his lover, he pushed his mouth on the hunter's._

_A groan only served to egg Kaname on and he nipped lightly at Zero's lower lip to convey his want. The hunter gladly allowed Kaname to push his tongue into his lover's mouth, moving with the confidence that came easily to him._

_The pair drifted over to the edge of the pond when Kaname pulled away and lifted them out, laying the both of them onto the soft grass of the meadow. The afternoon sun was bright, but Kaname's body was content to just lie with his lover. They were more often than not away from each other lately and with another important mission coming up, Zero would be away for months, and depending on the rest of the hunters that were going, up to a year._

_Kaname lovingly caressed Zero's drying arm. He gazed into the sleepy lilac eyes and smiled; the two of them knew that coming down here, to their own private getaway from both of their jobs and lives, that they would never want to go back to the mansion where Zero's phone was ringing consistently and Kaname's staff was frantically searching for him so he could talk to the fussy nobles on the phone, that they were going to ignore all the social and occupational responsibilities that came with them being them and just bask in all that they could give each other._

_"I'm not helping you tonight if you burn Kaname." Zero playfully said, twirling a wet lock of chocolate hair through his fingers._

_Kaname grabbed Zero's hand and brought it to his lips. "Don't worry, love. I will be just fine." He lightly kissed the pale hand and wrapped his arms around the tired hunter._

Kaname sat on the porch of the small cabin that they had constructed after initially finding the meadow. It was only a few yards from the edge of the pond, situated perfectly for both him and Zero. They had often just lie on the porch watching the sun rise or waking up early and watching it set.

He sighed and gazed out over the pond and the watched a small robin take off from a low branch and land gracefully on the moist soil next to the pond. It was not long until another one joined it, pecking at the ground, searching quickly for a meal before the rest of the neighborhood awoke.

Kaname leaned against the door of the small little cabin. It had been five years since the start of Zero's mission. He had gone to another part of the world in search of a rogue pureblood who had been turning humans like mad and had then taken over a country, using the human population as fodder for himself and his new ex-humans.

Zero had insisted that the assignment wasn't going to be that dangerous and that there were plenty of other hunters going along so the chances of anything seriously going wrong was slim to none. But despite all the talk and worrying that Kaname had done, and the assuring that Zero did, the hunter still went, and his entire party had not reported back. After eighteen months, the Association assumed the group MIA, filed the mission under 'Failed' and reported every party member dead.

Of course, they hadn't actually told Kaname until he had searched out the creepy-ass president of theirs and demanded to know where his lover was.

That had been two years ago, six months after the investigation into the missing hunters ended.

He groaned and sat up, absent-mindedly watching the sun rise. He hadn't realized how long he had been sitting out in the cold.

_ "I'll watch the night turn light blue, but it's not the same without you. Because it takes two to whisper quietly."_

The meadow was silent after Kaname's poetic line. Usually it was peaceful, the silence that followed him around nowadays, but with the coming of morning, Kaname couldn't help but feel restless.

"_The silence isn't so bad," _he glanced down at his clenched hands, _"till I look at my hands and feel sad. 'Cause the spaces between my fingers are right where yours fit perfectly._"

His body wanted to move, swim, jump, anything besides sitting and doing nothing like he had been.

"_I'll find repose in new ways, though I haven't slept in two days, 'cause cold nostalgia chills me to the bone."_

Kaname shivered in the cold morning air. He had not truly thought through any of the words that had left his mouth, they just seemed like the right thing to say. As if he was actually speaking directly to his lovely Zero right at this very moment.

"_But drenched in vanilla twilight, I'll sit on the front porch all night,"_

Relaxing his body, Kaname leaned back and rested his head on the front door of the cabin. This day had always been hard for him to get through without completely breaking down; he longed for the company that only Zero could offer him

_"Waist deep in thought because when I think of you, I don't feel so alone."_

Kaname balked at the words that had come out of his mouth. There was no greater contradiction, he thought. Every time he thought of Zero, his heart ached and he felt the longing to be in his shining light. The playful way he would tease Kaname, the way he'd scowl at anything that tried to compromise their relationship. Kaname sighed. No, he would always feel alone when he thought of his beloved Zero. There was no getting around it, especially not tonight, on the anniversary of his disappearance from Kaname's life.

_"As many times as I blink, I'll think of you…"_

He closed his eyes to the now rising sun. It was that time between night and day where everything is calm and still. The light had yet to fully reach the clearing and Kaname's sensitive eyes. He kept his heavy eyes closed as more and more birds awoke and began their daily routine of chirping, flying, pecking at the ground and chirping some more.

Zero, contrary to his behavior and what everyone else thought of him, loved the early morning. Everything about it made him as happy as the birds flitting around the meadow at this very moment: the happiness of being alive.

_"Tell me, Zero."_

_"No! I don't want to…" he mumbled into the pillow._

_Kaname smiled at the silver hair splayed across the black pillows of their bed. It was four o'clock in the morning, which, Zero had so callously commented, was Kaname's least favorite time of day even though Zero adored it. But he would not tell Kaname why…_

_"Come on Zero. Why the hesitation?"_

_Zero spoke into the pillow, but despite the censorship of the black pillow, Kaname's ears still picked up Zero's embarrassed words._

_"I will not laugh."  
><em>

_Zero raised his head and glared at Kaname. "Sure you won't."_

_"I promise, I won't laugh at why you enjoy this time of day so much."_

_Zero's eyes screamed distrust, but he sighed and looked down as if to think about his answer._

_"It reminds me of before the attack. Of when I didn't have to worry about my life every time I get a headache; of when I wasn't scared about what would happen each time I woke up or when I cut my finger on a knife while cooking._

_"I would always wake up early during the summer and spring just so I could go outside and feel the first warmth of the sun on my face before everyone else woke up."_

_The room fell silent, leaving both Kaname and Zero to their individual thoughts._

_How could Zero think that he would laugh at that? He wasn't that cold-hearted nor would he ever compromise the love that had so expectantly blossomed between them. No. He wouldn't do that to Zero._

_"Do you want to go to the cabin, Zero?"_

_The hunter looked up and smiled. Of course Kaname would think nothing of the rising sun or the poor serving staff that would freak out if they came up with tomorrow's breakfast and found the bed empty._

_"Sure."_

_Kaname leaned down and kissed his hunter passionately. He would protect Zero for the rest of their lives, no matter how much the fiery hunter protested._

Now Kaname could do nothing but reminisce to happier times himself, sitting quietly on the front porch of the cabin they had both adored, basking in Zero's favorite time of day.

_"If my voice could reach back through the past, I'd whisper in your ear."_

Kaname groaned as the light peaked through a gap in the trees and hit his sensitive eyes.

"_Oh darling I wish you were here."_

With the sun officially risen and the day having begun, Kaname decided it was time to retreat into the safety of the cabin. He got up, dusted himself off and paused. His instinct was telling him to not move from his spot. Strange due to the fact that usually when his primal sense kicked in, it was telling him to flee or to fight. But Kaname was never one to question his instincts, so he stood there; awkwardly awaiting whatever it was that had held him in the morning air.

He waited for ten minutes in the meadow, unmoving and watching whatever moved. The sun had yet to truly break the tops of the trees, but it was close and Kaname promised himself that if it did before anything happened he would go inside and sleep.

His body screamed at him for his decision, but he ignored it and patiently waited.

The birds around him suddenly stopped, the meadow growing quiet. Kaname hadn't noticed how loud it actually was until the silence took over. His eyes scanned the edges of the meadow for any anomalies. Movement directly in front of him caught his eye and he focused all his senses in that one direction.

It was another minute before anything happened. The wind picked up slightly, blowing into his face, and carrying with it the slight scent of something that Kaname would never in his entire long life forget.

He dashed off the porch, and leaped over the pond, completely bypassing the calm water. He broke into the forest, letting his senses guide him.

Chocolate eyes met bright violet eyes and both boys crashed into each other, a tangle of limbs ending up on the forest floor.

Kaname wrestled Zero still, wrapping his arms around the slim waist he had grown to know and love. He didn't notice when the tears started falling, but the more Kaname thought about it, the less likely it seemed. Zero was back! And he wasn't dead, or hurt, or any different from when he had left!

"Kana—"

"No, don't talk Zero. Just let me hold you."

Zero complied, albeit with some grumbling, and the pair laid in the grass, enjoying what they had been deprived of for five years.

Kaname caressed every part of his lover's body that he could reach, spending quite a large amount of time reacquainting himself with his hair, and midsection. He nestled his head into the crook of Zero's shoulder and head, inhaling the scent he'd so missed in their time apart.

"Kaname, let's get you inside. I'll tell you everything and we can get out of the sun." Zero patted his lover's back, feeling the slight shaking that was racking through his body.

Zero mentally shook his head at Kaname's stubbornness and picked him up, leading him back the way he came.

With the pair comfortably in bed, and Kaname's mind reeling from what was happening Zero and Kaname began the long catch up that needed to be done.

"So the mission was a success, just not nearly as quickly as we thought. And then the damn president went and tried to kill all of us on the assignment, making everything harder.

"But don't worry Kaname," he said at the cold way he was now staring at Zero, "When we came back, everyone knew something had to be up and we got the whole confession out of the president before anyone got hurt. And it's taken care of now, the other hunters wanted to kill him. But the majority of us were against it, so he's safe and sound in the lower cells of the Association building."

Kaname stared at the hunter before he pulled him into another tight embrace. He just couldn't believe that after five years, his Zero was back in his arms, safe.


End file.
